


Don't Call It Love

by MintyFreshIdiot



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Awkward Conversations, Eventual Romance, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hybrids, Jealousy, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Behavior, Possible smut, Romance, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Tags May Change, cursing, kind of, kind of idk how to explain it, no beta we die like men, wingman!sapnap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:53:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28562352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MintyFreshIdiot/pseuds/MintyFreshIdiot
Summary: "Too much of everything isn't good for you.""What the hell does that mean?"An arranged marriage forces two strangers of different species to get to know each other, slowly but surely in order to please their family.However, a question lingers in their mind.How the fuck is a feline hybrid considered compatible with a dragon hybrid?(rating may change for possible smut)
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 253





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> made george a little younger here so in this story he is 22 😭

_"This is stupid! Why the hell are you just telling me now?!"_

_"Oh please George, please I'm begging you! You're our last hope! We've tried and offered them everything, but they're only interested in finding a suitable partner for their son!"_

_"But why me?! There are tons of beautiful women and handsome men in our village, why the hell are you offering me?!"_

_"They asked for somebody who was close to their ancestors! You were the only one in the village who wasn't married or taken! Please, George, just give this a chance! You'd be saving us from any dangers in the future if you'd just marry him, please!"_

George remembers the yelling, the way his mother cried on her knees, begging for him to go along with this idea. It pained him to see her like this, at her weakest state, all for the sake of their village. She didn't want to give him up, but she had no choice and she tried to show how much she regret not being able to do enough to stop this. 

When his parents first broke the news to him, he felt devastated, hurt and betrayed that they'd sell him off to marry a stranger. He felt like somebody dropped an anvil over his head and told him to suck it up and walk it off. His world grew at an uncomfortably fast pace and he felt lightheaded just thinking about it. They told him the night after his aunt told him about stories about soulmates— close friends or romantic partners. His heart would flutter at the thought of finding his soulmate, and he had hope he'd find them soon. 

But, like his mother had said, he's doing this for the sake of their village, a sanctuary for feline hybrids and many others. He really doesn't want to, but if he has to give up his hand in exchange for an alliance and the safety of his people, then he'll do just that, no matter the pain he has to bear. All those years of planning and dreaming of having a family with someone he loves were torn away from him, leaving him alone with someone he doesn't know and likely won't love— doesn't help with the fact that they're a completely odd match: a dragon hybrid with a feline hybrid? Their families were insane for thinking they were even possible of being compatible. 

And that's how he found himself here, in the house belonging to the stranger he's engaged to; Dream. The two-story house is in an open area, away from the village and almost isolated. It's pretty big for only two people, even a bit lonely since George hardly ever sees Dream except during dinner and when they sleep (as embarrassing as it is to admit, they sleep in the same bed with no contact or conversations from the other) but he distracts himself from the loneliness with the garden at the front of the house, tending to the flowers and shrubs that make their house look more welcoming and cozy. 

George wants to go back home. He misses his family and friends, the smell of fresh pastries in his favorite bakery, the books his father would bring him from his travels, even the grumpy cat that visits his house and scratches him when he gives it too much affection. Luckily for him, Sapnap still visits him from time to time, but most of his visits end up with constant teasing, like now. 

"Maybe you should just seduce him." Sapnap's tone is serious, and it makes George choke as he tries swallows his tea, the soothing aroma isn't enough to stop him from almost dying by it. 

He gawks at the other hybrid in shock, flustered at his words, "What?!" 

Sapnap bursts into a laughing fit, smacking the surface of the table, "I'm kidding! Holy crap, you should've seen your face!"

"Sapnap, that's not funny!" 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say sweetheart." The raven haired laughs, gulping down the last of his coffee, "But seriously, maybe try to make the first move if he won't. Start a conversation with him."

"But what should I talk to him about?" George sighs, slowly swirling the liquid in his cup, watching it crash against the sides similar to the ocean tides on a stormy day, "He's always locked up in that office of his, I barely know anything about him besides that he's a dragon hybrid."

"Ask about his day, talk about something interesting you saw, invite him to the village, hell, just flirt with him if you want!"

"I'm not gonna flirt with him." 

"Okay, well, just remember it's always an option." He rests his chin on the palm of his hands, softly kicking at George's legs, the tip of his foot knocking against the brunet's. 

George sighs, looking out the window to see that the sun is already setting. He looks back at Sapnap, "I guess I'll try to make small talk, I just hope it won't be awkward."

"Don't worry dude, if things do end up awkward, you can always just run away."

The brunet rolls his eyes, "Haha, funny." he says flatly, standing up from his seat. He takes Sapnap's empty cup, along with his own, "I'm gonna start making dinner, are you gonna stay?"

"Nah, as much as I wanna see you failing to have a decent conversation with Dream, I gotta get back home." 

"Alright, I'll see you later then, be careful on your way back." George shouts from the kitchen, listening to Sapnap's footsteps fading away into the halls as he says his goodbyes before he hears the faint noise of the door closing. He's alone now, Dream somewhere upstairs doing who knows what, with only his thoughts and cooking to occupy him. 

He's so invested in peeling the potatoes and coming up with the perfect ice-breaker that he doesn't even hear the sounds of approaching footsteps or the gentle scraping of a chair being pulled out. He doesn't hear the rhythm of fingers tapping against the surface of the kitchen island and he definitely doesn't feel the heavy gaze boring into his back. It's not until he turns around, plates and silverware in his hands to set up the dining table, that he finally sees Dream sitting behind the kitchen island, staring right at him, brown eyes locking with the black, round ones drawn onto the white mask. 

"D-Dream!" He gasps out, almost dropping the fragile plates onto the floor, "I-I.. didn't notice you.. there."

"I know." The blonde responds flatly, adjusting his mask slightly to show only his mouth, "I've been here for a while and you didn't even see me until now."

"Were you.. watching me..?"

"Something like that."

The room goes silent, and it's the painfully awkward kind of silent. George can feel himself heat up from how straightforward Dream said that, as if he wasn't ashamed or worried at how suggestive it sounds. 

But this is his chance, George mentally hypes himself up as he places the plates down at the table, setting them up so that they rest in front of the chairs across from each other. He's putting down the silverware over the napkins when he asks, "How was your day so far?"

From the corner of his eye, he can see Dream perk up at the question. George thinks he's imagining it, but it's almost like he's excited to have been asked a question, "It's been good, I finished everything I had to do today so I have some free time now."

"That's nice, looks like you'll be able to relax." George rushes back to the kitchen, cutting up the carrots into smaller pieces before pushing them into the pot to cook with the other ingredients. 

"How about you?"

The question almost catches him off guard. He definitely didn't expect Dream to return the question to him, but he didn't mind, he actually found it reassuring that the other still wants to keep up a conversation, "My day was fine, had a nice time with my friend."

"Sapnap, right?"

"Mhm." George hums in response, watching the pot closely as he slowly stirs it. Things fall back into a quiet atmosphere, the only sound being the stove and the boiling pot, except it's less tense than before. But, of course, the world leaves him unprepared for the next thing that falls out of Dream's mouth, like a meteorite coming out of nowhere. 

"Do you.. want to visit the village with me tomorrow?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bruhhh my first fanfic that isn't a oneshot what!!! 😭 sorry if it's kind of vague im trying to get used to writing details and building the world idk
> 
> criticism and feedbacks are appreciated!!


	2. Chapter 2

Dream could've carried on with his life, just like he always did, and buried himself into his work.  
  
But no, he couldn't, not when the quiet conversation between his fiance and his friend caught his attention. He tries not to loiter around for too long, just enough that he gets an idea of what they're discussing.  
  
"It's just.. weird! I'm living, eating, and even sleeping in the same bed as the guy, but we just don't talk at all!" He hears George groaning, "I don't know what to do! If I'm gonna be spending the rest of my life with him, then I would at least prefer if he just talks to me, we've only ever exchanged a few words here and there and that's it! Or maybe it's me? Maybe he just doesn't like me? Oh my god, I'm gonna go insane."  
  
Dream's mother was right, she had told him before George moved in that he should at least attempt to get to know him so that they're not awkward around each other. He didn't really care at first, it was just going to be a loveless marriage to begin with, but hearing George sound so frustrated for not being able to have a decent conversation with him, even for a second, makes him feel guilty.  
  
So he decides to make an attempt, hopefully exchange more than just a few words with the other and clear the awkward tension around them.  
  
He also pretends he doesn't hear their guest's suggestion to "seduce him", even if the thought lingers in his mind and leaves him somewhat flustered.  
  
  
"Can we stop by the library first?" George had asked him in a somewhat quiet tone, fiddling with his fingers as Dream snaps out of his thoughts, "You don't have to come with me, I can go by myself, I won't take long—"  
  
"Its fine," Dream reassures the brunet, tilting his head to gesture towards the path leading to their destination, "I don't mind tagging along."  
  
The walk to the library was, as expected, a little.. _too_ quiet. Neither male knew what to say— actually no, that wasn't true. George had some conversation starters, but he just lacked the courage to actually attempt to say them out-loud without thinking back to the possible scenarios in his head that involved Dream ignoring him or telling him to shut up. They passed by many buildings, a familiar bakery sticking out the most for George, and cozy houses rented or owned by the local villagers.  
  
When they finally made it to the library, which was smaller than Dream expected, George had wandered off to find a specific book, claiming to be back in less than five minutes, and left the blonde to explore on his own. The library was warm, giving customers a chance to relax from the winter breeze happening outside. The bookshelves were at the front of the building, tables and seats at the very back with only a couple of people occupying them. He could see the brunet from where he was at.  
  
Deciding to waste some time while waiting for George, Dream scans through the nearest bookshelf. His fingers trail over the stiff covers of the horror genre, carefully examining each font of the titles. When nothing catches his interest, he moves onto the next shelf before he stops a few seconds after looking over it, pulling out a blue colored book with golden writing for the title.  
  
"Feline Hybrids: How to care for them.." He reads it out-loud, humming with interest. He flips through the first couple of pages, thumb resting at the top corners of the right sheets, engraving every word into his mind. He chuckles, "Maybe this will come in handy sometime in the future."  
  
"What will?"  
  
Dream almost jolts at the voice, quickly turning around to see George standing behind him, eyeing him with curiosity. Now that he's looking at him properly, he can see the way his pupils have dilated, only a bit of brown visible around it. He reminds him of a cat.  
  
Maybe because he _is_ a cat— a hybrid to be specific, Dream scolds himself.  
  
"Just a book I found." Dream replies, hiding the book behind his back. He doesn't fail to notice the way George tilts his head, trying to catch a glimpse of what he was hiding, "So, did you find your book?"  
  
George bounces, beaming at the question, "I did!" His excited behavior is quickly replaced by a more timid one, gripping the book in his hands tightly, "But I'm a little embarrassed to show it."  
  
The blonde smiles, though he's sure George can't see it since his mask rests over his mouth, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, it's just a book. I'll show you what I found if you show me your book?"  
  
"Deal!" The brunet curls into a smile for a few seconds before he presses his lips into a thin line, slowly turning the book to face Dream, his brows now furrowing as he tries his hardest not to show his embarrassment. Dream steps a bit closer, reading the title.  
  
"The Ultimate Care Guide for Dragon Hybrids?"

How ironic.  
  
"I thought.. if I got this, maybe I could.." George trails off, his cheeks turning a rosy color as he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, "Maybe I could learn more about you, know what to do and what not to do since I don't know much about dragon hybrids."  
  
Dream chuckles, "I guess we were both thinking the same thing," He tells the brunet, watching his expression turn into one of confusion. He brings his book back in front of him, offering it to George for him to read, "This is what I was looking at."  
  
"They have a care guide for felines too?"  
  
"They have one for every hybrid." The blonde answers, accepting the book back from George, "I'm.. a little glad you want to know more about me. Nobody else tried to do that, they usually just assume dragon hybrids want to burn and kill everyone."  
  
"That's just a stereotype, right?"  
  
"Yeah, it is."  
  
The brunet goes quiet, furrowing his brows again as he thinks for a bit. Dream wants to ask him what's running through his mind, but he chooses not to, believing its better to let him think than interrupt him. It doesn't take long before George speaks up again, expression softening at the blonde, "Let's go check these out, I wanna show you my favorite place."

\-------------------

  
Dream stuffs the books into his leather bag as he walks next to George on the stone pathway, heading back to the main area of the village. He looks over at the brunet, noticing the small smile on his lips. He can't help but smile as well, relaxing at the thought that maybe— just maybe, George is starting to warm up around him. He really hopes that's the case, maybe the book could help push their.. newfound friendship? He's not sure what to call it.  
  
But it feels nice so far.


	3. Chapter 3

Their next and last stop had been a tiny bakery George would often visit before they got engaged, not far from the path to their home. They ate sweets, drank warm coffee offered by one of the bakers, and they discussed many things including the fact that they share one mutual friend: Bad, one of the bakers working at the very bakery George loved, and he was the one who offered them the cups of coffee. When they finished their meal, they went back home with a fresh batch of bread (courtesy of Bad— as a celebration for their engagement.)

When they got back home, George had expected things to go back to normal with Dream locking himself in his office and leaving him alone with his thoughts and the presence of the ingredients that silently mocked him for his loneliness. But it never happened. They stayed up till midnight talking as if they've known each other for years. Their polite stage simmering down to constant teasing and jokes. 

A few days come and go, and today is the day Dream gets to meet Sapnap, not as George's mysterious fiance who is a complete stranger to the both of them, but as George's friend. After a couple minutes of nervous rambling (What if Sapnap doesn't like him? What if he makes fun of him for wearing the mask?) and George's reassurance of Sapnap's friendly nature, he finds himself sitting on the leather couch of their living room, eyeing the painting of his ancestor (his father's great-great-grandfather, to be precise.) that was given to him by his parents as a parting gift after he moved out and into this house. He can almost feel the man's gaze on him. 

"Damn George, you're making me feel like I'm about to meet my daughter's boyfriend." He can hear Sapnap's teasing remark from across the hall. 

George grunts, his gentle footsteps sounding closer to where Dream sits, followed by Sapnap's own steps walking through the wood flooring, "Just don't push it too much with the teasing, okay? I don't want Dream to feel uncomfortable."

Dream smiles to himself, a little happy to hear George say that. He looks up when he hears the latter clearing his throat, standing next to Sapnap in the doorway, his lips curled into a sheepish smile as he walks over to where Dream is sitting. He gestures to the seat across from them, both males watching as the raven haired man sits down, eyeing the two suspiciously, specifically the blonde as he shifts his mask to rest just above his mouth, like how he did with George.

"So.. Dream, nice to finally meet you." Sapnap grins at the blonde, "George talks a lot about you. Like.. A lot-lot."

"Shut up!" George is red, Dream notes. 

"Nice to meet you too, and George tells me a lot about you too." Dream flashes a grin back, already liking Sapnap's presence. 

They fall into a silence, neither speaking a word, just staring. George looks between them, nervously and confused. He's not sure if he should say something or run off to make them beverages. It seemed like none of them were going to speak until Sapnap's gaze shifted into an unreadable expression.

"Tell me, Dreamie, my new buddy, have you ever seen a hybrid reacting to their instincts?"

Dream raises a brow, though nobody could see it because of his mask, but he answers, clearly puzzled, "No, not that I know of.. Why?"

Mischief glints in Sapnap's eyes, and George was quick enough to catch it. He's already tensing up, getting ready to run off when the the other suddenly turns to him, a sinister grin on his face, so wide it sends a shiver down George's spine. He _knows_ that look, and he knows what the other is planning, but he's so stupid for staying still instead of running, his curiosity increasing with anticipation as he watches Sapnap approach him. 

"Sapnap, no."

"Sapnap, yes." Sapnap says loudly. 

It feels like everything is in slow motion, but at the same time going very fast for Dream. Sapnap pulls out some kind of stuffed mouse with a string attached to its tail, connecting it to the stick he's holding, and he notices the way George's eyes dilate the same way they did during the library. 

Sapnap gasps, "Look Georgie, what's _this_?" He wiggles the object, stifling his laugh as the brunet silently follows it with his eyes, face blank. When he doesn't move, the taller wiggles it again, this time moving it to hover above his head, the mouse dangling enough to make George jump from his seat in an attempt to grab it. 

Finally, Sapnap bursts into a fit of giggles as he runs around the room, George trailing closely behind as he tries to jump over his shoulders, desperately reaching out for the toy. 

Dream almost finds it cute. 

_Almost_ , he tells himself. 

\-------------------

To Dream and George's dismay, the day ended as quickly as it started, Sapnap having to go before it got too late. He and Dream ended up talking more while George fiddled around with the mouse on the stick before throwing it out the window to avoid reacting to it again. 

Now it was dinner time and Dream took it upon himself to cook while George was recovering from the playing. 

"You really don't have to do this," George says as he watches Dream place the pan on the stove, over the flames, "You should be relaxing."

Dream wags his finger at George, stopping him from rambling more, "I told you already, it's fine. Plus, I know how to cook, I'm not gonna burn the entire house down."

"I know, I'm just.. I don't know, I'm just used to making dinner instead." The brunet sighs, leaning over the kitchen island, "I don't know what to do when I'm _not_ making dinner."

"You could read, take a nap, run around."

"Run around?" George laughs, "Dream, I'm not gonna run around again, I have a limit."

"You sure? It is a pretty big house," Dream turns around to face George, a smug look on his face, "I mean.. Can you imagine all the space you haven't seen yet? Every corner left untouched, rooms to discover, walls to scratch—"

"You're not gonna make my instincts react, it's not gonna work." The shorter male huffs. 

"Vases to knock over.."

George tenses at the mention of vases. He rips his gaze away from Dream, fiddling with his fingers as he struggles to contain his excitement. He's practically trembling at this point, and Dream can tell. 

"All those fragile, antique vases, just waiting to be pushed off their spot by a superior being," The blonde coos, watching the way George gulps, "Huh, I think I left some boxes in our room. _Unattended_."

"You are just getting too fucking comfortable, aren't you?" George stumbles out of his seat, "I will be back. I need the.. bathroom."

Dream grins, turning his back towards the brunet, "Have fun." He says as he hears the other run out of the kitchen and into the hallway. He doesn't flinch when he hears vases shattering after making contact with the floor, the sound of fabric tearing, or George's muffled laughter dripping with confidence. 

Sure, some people might scold him for allowing such actions to go unnoticed without any consequences, and it might be a hassle to clean later, but it's all worth it. As long as it lets George release any stress, since the book told him that feline hybrids— just like many other hybrid— need to let their instincts react at least once in a while (otherwise they'll become extremely aggressive), then Dream won't worry about the aftermath. 

But after finishing cooking and searching around for George to tell him dinner was ready, he found the brunet on their canopy bed, shreds of paper and pieces of glass scattered across the floor. He walked over to wake the other up, separating the decorative fabric draped over the bed, and taking notice of the cardboard box resting next to the hybrid, ripped and filled with cuts. 

But his gaze falls mainly on the unconscious male, finding it hard to look away as he watches the slow rising and falling of his chest, a quiet purr rumbling from the back of his throat. 

Dream feels his face burn with warmth as his body moves on its own, reaching over to touch George's face with his hand, thumb gently caressing the rosy cheek his palm rests on. 

_**Ba-dump.** _

He quickly pulls back, watching the curtains fall back into place as his eyes widen in surprise. A hand slaps itself onto his chest, where his heart rests, and he freezes when he feels it beating rapidly. 

_I must be catching a fever_ , he tells himself, his throat suddenly feeling dry. He looks at George's shadowed figure and he suddenly feels ashamed, furrowing his brows in confusion. 

Dream feels as though he can't stay here for long, so he turns on his heels and walks out of the room to go back to the kitchen, hurrying to make sure dinner didn't get cold. 

He'll just save George's plate for when he wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> speed running through the days to get to the point 😔 
> 
> im not sure if i should write smut for this or not, that's why i put possible smut in case i do (for future chapts) lol let me know if i should!!


	4. Chapter 4

When George wakes up, he's greeted by the cold. Despite the thick blanket wrapped around his body, he's freezing and trembling. He feels around the bed only to realize Dream isn't around, his usual spot on the mattress is cold with no signs of his warmth— he probably woke up earlier than usual. 

After pushing through the morning coldness and changing from his pajamas to comfortable clothes, he makes his way downstairs to the kitchen. He sees Dream sitting at the kitchen island, a familiar blue book in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. 

"Morning." George says, padding to the stove as he pulls out a couple of eggs from the basket on the nearby counter. 

"Morning." Dream responds in a mumble, reading through each page carefully. 

"Did you eat already?"

"Yeah, sorry. Got a little hungry and I didn't want to wake you up."

The brunet just nods, grabbing a plate from the cabinet above as the egg in the pan cooks. Dream, having a sudden urge to sneak a glance, looks over at George, studying him from afar. As soon as he slightly turns, Dream's gaze drops back onto his book, pretending to be deeply entranced by the paragraphs of information. 

Not long after, George sets the plate onto the kitchen island, sitting down a seat away from Dream. When he settles down, he sees the way the blonde tenses, a brow quirking as he studies his behavior. 

"Did you go to sleep late?" George asks, poking around the eggs with his fork.

"Kind of."

"Oh."

Dream shifts around in his seat, squirming under George's focused gaze. He wants to look back at him, see what kind of expression is on his face, maybe even if his pupils are dilated again or not. But he doesn't. He refuses his urge to do so, distracting himself with the pages filled with words that he can't memorize without feeling the curious brown eyes staring right at him. 

Just as expected (and it never seems to disappear) they sit in silence. To Dream, it's heavy and unnerving, but he's not sure what it's like for George. The brunet seems unfazed, finishing up what's left on his plate before heading over to the sink to wash it. 

He doesn't get a chance to start another conversation as Dream has already disappeared from his seat, having ran off to lock himself in his office. 

When he hears his door click, he runs over to the calendar hanging next to his desk. His index runs over the page, stopping right on top of a certain date that's circled in red ink. 

"Shit," Dream mumbles under his breath, looking through his drawers for something. He ends up pulling out a small, glass bottle filled with purple pills, "Oh thank God, I still have some left."

"Dream?"

The blonde jumps at George's muffled voice calling out to him. He looks over at the door and relaxes when it's still closed. 

"Are you okay?"

Not wanting to worry the other, he responds back, "Yeah, I'm fine! Don't worry!"

"Alright, I'll be cleaning the house if you need me."

Dream sighs as soon as he hears George's footsteps moving away from the door. He looks back down at the bottle, gripping it carefully as to not accidentally drop it. He doesn't want to take them, but he has to— _needs_ to. His greed phase is coming soon, a few days earlier than usual, and the last thing he wants is for George to see him going through it. 

But he doesn't want to worry the male, the idea of George finding out about this just horrifies him. Sure, the medication will pushed down most of the symptoms, but his instincts will still try to fight back. 

Dream decides he'll figure it out later, the slight presence of a headache dragging his mood down even further. 

\-------------------

Two days. 

Two days have passed and Dream has been acting weird. 

On mornings he'd wake up with his face squished against Dream's chest, wrapped in a tight embrace before he wakes up and pushes him away. During breakfast, he wouldn't speak, instead burying his nose into the book he borrowed from the library a few days ago. After breakfast, he'd disappear into his office and George would never see him again until dinner and bedtime. 

George didn't know what to do, so he decided to give Dream his space. He didn't want to pressure him if there was something going on. If Dream didn't want to tell him, then he won't force it out. 

When Sapnap visits today, he tells him what's been going on, and to his surprise, the younger male has an answer. 

"It's probably his greed phase." 

"Greed phase..?" George repeats, the words somewhat familiar but he can't remember what it was. 

"You have a book about dragon hybirds right?" Sapnap asks, leaning forward to rest his chin on the palm of his hand. When George nods, he continues, "The books have more info about it, but it's when a dragon hybrid's desire for more stuff starts to flare up. It happens every two months and it's best to keep him away from jewelry, money, or anything that might increase his greediness. 

"Wow," George mumbles, staring in awe, "I.. didn't know that. You know more than I do."

"Smarter than I seem, never judge a book by its cover, Georgie." Sapnap grins proudly, slumping against his chair as he bites into the cookie he picked up from the plate. 

"I never said you weren't smart, but I'm just shocked you know about that."

"I figured you'd want answers to your love life with a dragon hybrid, so I brushed up on some stuff."

"Love life? What are yo—"

"George."

Both males jump at the noise, turning their heads to the direction of the source. They see Dream standing in the doorway, cloak wrapped around his body as he held it tightly. George can feel his gaze on him, but he can't see his expression and it makes him squirm a bit. 

"Hey, Dream." Sapnap greets casually before getting up, "I was just about to go."

"Huh? Wait, Sapnap—"

George cuts himself off when he sees Sapnap's face, a quiet message passing onto him before the raven haired male walks out of the kitchen, leaving George and Dream alone together. 

Dream doesn't move from his spot, neither does George. They stay far from each other, the atmosphere making every hair on George's body stand. He taps his fingers against the table in hopes of getting rid of the silence, quietly cursing when it only does little to do just that. 

Then Dream speaks, "You didn't tell me Sapnap was coming over." George doesn't care about the odd tone when he says that, he's just glad Dream is talking to him again and that he broke away the silence. 

"Sorry," George apologizes, pulling away his hand to rest it on his lap, "I didn't want to bother you while you were in your office."

"Hm."

The response is short and simple, just a hum and nothing else. Dream shows no signs of talking again, so George takes that as his cue to leave. He's barely made out of the kitchen when Dream suddenly drapes an arm over his shoulders, scaring the brunet at first. 

"Dream..?" George calls out, not sure what to do as he's pulled closer to the blonde. 

"Sorry, I'm feeling a bit dizzy right now." Dream mumbles. 

George knows that's not true, he can just tell, but he doesn't push him away or call him out. It was out of the blue, he'll admit that, but the way Dream is holding him makes him feel safe and comfortable. 

And he wants to push down that feeling. Somewhere in his mind, he can hear someone yelling at him to stop feeling this way, that he's not supposed to feel this. 

But he doesn't listen. 

He's not sure why, but he just doesn't. 

George lets it happen. 


	5. Chapter 5

After being released from Dream's clingy form, George found a note from Sapnap warning him about sellers who plan to arrive at their house. Apparently they like to keep track of Dream's greed phase, having a long streak of success by taking advantage of it and selling odd findings as well as jewelry, everything that weakens Dream's resistance.

George made it his duty to watch over the house while Dream distracts himself with work, standing and balancing himself atop of a nearby tree to get a better view of his surroundings. He can see the village from here, as well as a few merchants walking on the stone path that leads to their home, llamas carrying bags packed with who knows what following behind them. 

He found himself sliding down a few branches, crouching when he lands on the thickest one on the tree, and hides behind the leaves. He hears a loud tapping and turns slightly to see Dream with his mask resting above his nose, knocking on the window of his office and flashing a tired smile along with a wave when he gets George's attention. George returns the gesture before going back to stalking the merchants. 

Once the merchants were deemed close enough, George dropped back onto the soft soil, thanking his instincts for letting him land safely on his feet. He slipped back inside the house through the front door, cleaning himself from any leaves or branches that might have stuck to him during his watch, washing his hands and patiently waiting in the kitchen for the knocks of their soon-to-be visitors. 

And when the oh-so expected knock came, George practically jumped out of his chair and almost knocked it over. He managed to calm down in a span of a few seconds, brushing his hand against his clothes and making sure he looked presentable before opening the door to greet the merchants with a welcoming smile. 

The merchants looked confused, maybe a little shocked to see him, and he's 100% sure it's because they expected Dream. 

_Ha!_

George internally laughed at the men in front of him. 

"Can I help you?" George asks, feigning innocence as he studied the men closely. 

"Uh.. We were wondering if we could speak to the man of this house?" One of the merchants responds, pulling his llama close to him. 

"I'm sorry, but he's busy right now." 

"Oh.. Well, that's fine." He spoke again, digging through his pack. George expected them to leave, but apparently they weren't giving up so easily. The man pulls out a small, tan bag, grinning cockily at George, "You look like the type to enjoy jewelry, I can just tell from those beautiful eyes of yours."

George visible cringes at the compliment directed towards his eyes, "No, I'm not."

"Nonsense! Maybe this will convince you otherwise!"

George tenses as the merchant pulls out an ugly yellow colored gem from the tan bag, flashing it in front of him. The gem looked dull, plain and simple, yet there was something hypnotic about it. It made George want to snatch it from the man's hand and keep it to himself. 

The man seems to notice his silence, "Like what ya see? It's a gem specifically made for feline hybrids, which I assume you are one of them, it helps relax them from stress and brings them endless joy."

".. Joy?" George repeats absentmindedly, chasing the gem with his eyes as the man puts it back into the bag. When it's fully disappeared from his sight, he feels panic rising in him, brows furrowing as he starts to miss its presence. 

"Ah, you're already attached to it, how wonderful!" The man chuckles, waving the bag in George's face as if to mock him for having something that he doesn't have, something that he wants— that he _needs_. The merchant ponders, humming loudly as every bone in George's body urges him to strike and steal the bag, but he restrains himself, "I know! I'll give you this gem for the price of 500 coins!"

500 coins? That's a steal. 

George is about to accept, hand reaching out to the offered bag until he heard a loud sneeze coming from above him. 

And then he remembered something important.

_Dream._

The bastards were trying to get through to him by using some junk to make him kneel. 

"No thank you." George retracts his hand, slamming the door on the merchants. He gets away from the front of the house, collapsing onto one of the dining chairs to catch his breath. 

He definitely did not expect that merchant to have one of those gems. They were forbidden here as his parents, two feline hybrids, were in charge of the village. And he almost fell for it. 

Groaning, George buries his face into the palms of his hands, mentally thanking Dream for his loud sneeze breaking the spell that was affecting him. 

Speaking of which, he has to check up on him. The last thing he wants is to find Dream buried in jewelry from who knows where. 

After the exhausting journey across the house (the very thought of one of the merchants coming back with that gem just paranoid his very soul), he finally reached Dream's door. A soft knock is all it took to get the blonde's muffled permission to enter the office. When George opens the door, he relaxes at the sight in front of him, but he's also a little surprised. 

Dream sits on his chair, fiddling around with a small doll, completely white, round head, and a cute and simple smiley face drawn on one side of the head. It has no limbs, just a long body that gets wider as it goes down from the head. What catches his eye the most, though, was the fact that Dream's mask was off, revealing his face. Piss colored eyes (he's guessing they're actually green), freckles crossing on the bridge of his nose to his cheeks like stars in the night sky, and a very faint scar on the left side of his jaw. 

Dream looks up from the doll, smiling when he sees George. 

"Hi."

George chuckles, closing the door behind him as he greets him back, more timid than the blonde, "Hi."

"I heard you talking to someone." Dream looks a little embarrassed, his eyes trailing back down to the toy in his hands, "I didn't wanna.. y'know, snoop in, but I heard some guy talking about jewelry and I just.."

"It's fine, don't worry about it." The brunet takes a seat in front of Dream, taking another look at Dream's face. He never expected to see it so soon. He's taken it off during bed, but he usually always faces away from George, or (in the past two day's case) he would tuck George's head under his chin, so he never got the chance to see it up close like this. He notices his slit pupils, and he's not sure if they're always like that or if it's because of the phase. 

"Am I ugly..?" Dream asks quietly, refusing to look up. His cheeks are visible red, a sight George found endearing. 

"No, but you look even better than I imagined."

Oh, he said that out loud, didn't he?

Dream laughed, his signature wheeze breaking his embarrassed state, "You're really bold, aren't you?"

Now it was George's turn to be embarrassed, looking down at his hands that rest on his lap, "S-Shut up."

The blonde just laughs more at this, struggling to catch his breath as soon as he's gone on for too long. The toy is discarded now, resting on the corner of his desk, eyeing the two males in silence. George finds himself giggling at Dream's struggle, encouraging the other to laugh even more. 

"Stop laughing!" George says between giggles. 

"I can't! This is so dumb!" Dream breathes out, his face turning as red as a rose. 

After another few seconds of their banter, they both finally calm down, relaxing into a comforting and peaceful moment together, the sounds of birds chirping and flying past the window lulling them further. 

"Thank you."

George perks up at the unexpected gratitude, looking up from his lap to raise a brow at the blonde, ".. For what?"

Dream's lips are curled into a gentle smile, his pupils now blown and wide, "For handling the merchants. I should have told you sooner, but I'm going through something right now. I'm sorry if I scared you earlier by.. what I did, I have trouble controlling it."

"Your greed phase, right?"

"Yeah, you already knew about it?"

George chuckles, shaking his head, "I didn't know about it until Sapnap told me, he also told me about the merchants. I'm planning on reading more about it soon so I can know what to do for you."

"God, you're so.." Dream stops himself, swallowing down the words he so desperately wants to say. George looks at him with so much innocence and it makes his heart want to jump out. The phase is affecting him badly, he can just tell. He chooses his words quickly, making sure he doesn't say anything he'll regret, "You've done so much for me, I really appreciate it. I just wish I could return the favor somehow."

"You don't have to."

"But I want to."

Dream's voice came out more affectionate than he planned, and he hoped to God that George didn't pick up the tone. 

Unfortunately for him, George did seem to pick it up, he could tell from the way his ears redden, but he doesn't say anything. 

Neither say anything, but they simply stare at one another as if they had the world in their hands. 


	6. Chapter 6

"What's with the cape?"

Dream turns around to see George crouching behind him, now in front, as he picks at the cape, eyes widening when he feels how stiff and cold it is against his warm skin. 

Dream laughs at his shocked expression, "It's not a cape, silly."

"It's.. not?" George sounds astonished, looking between Dream's green eyes for any signs of a joke and back down to the hand that holds what Dream claims is not a cape. 

"Look closely at it."

The brunet does as told, leaning in closely and studying the.. cloak? His thumb runs over the rough and leathery garment, not noticing the way Dream twitches at the contact. His touch is light, fingers following the odd designs of the cloak until the realization finally hits him, a timid grin on the blonde's face as he watches George's eyes widen. 

"Wings?!" George says a little too loudly, slapping his hand over his mouth and awkwardly chuckling. His hand lowers, resting on his chest as he looks up at Dream, "You have wings!"

"Yeah, I do." Dream says, his wings separating and spreading carefully to avoid hitting George. The brunet stands up as soon as they're fully spread, circling around the blonde to study the wings closely. 

"Can you fly?"

"I can, but I don't." He sees the confused look on George's face, one that pretty much asks _"why not?"_ and he takes it upon himself to answer his internal question, "I'm not a huge fan of heights, and flying requires you to be.. y'know, off the ground. High above in the skies, otherwise I'd look weird if I tried to fly way closer to the ground."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know." George's hand rests his hand on Dream's arm, unaware of its placement but the contact makes Dream slightly lean into it, a fuzzy feeling pooling in the pit of his stomach.

"It's fine," Dream quietly laughs, his wings closing to rest comfortably behind him, "It's a shame I can't put these to use like most dragon hybrids."

"Does it hurt if you don't fly often?"

The dragon hybrid's wings flutter gingerly at the mention of flying, "Kind of, but I just do stretches my parents taught me to do for my wings. They get uncomfortable if I don't do them."

"Stretches? Wow."

Dream laughs in a hearty manner, his wings bouncing slightly as they clash with the back of his body, "You're impressed by something so basic."

George looks away bashfully, puffing his cheeks as he gives Dream a side glare, "It's not basic, you have _wings_ , that's something you don't see everyday."

"I mean, I know a man who has wings too and I see him and his kids almost every week."

"Fine, let me rephrase my words," George rolls his eyes, sitting down on one of the stools at the kitchen island, "That's something _I_ don't see everyday."

"That means I'm your first!" Dream freezes when he realizes the way he worded the sentence. A joke pops into his head, green eyes glinting with mischief as a smirk plays across his lips, "Wow, we've only started to properly know each other a few weeks ago and I've already taken one of your firsts."

"Oh my God, shut up." 

The blonde takes a keen interest in the way George's blush spreads from his cheeks to the tips of his ears, mentally noting how easy it is to get the other flustered enough to be compared to a cherry. George groans into his hands, hiding away from Dream's teasing gaze. He was worse than Sapnap, and that's saying a lot. .

"You suck."

"Whatever you say, _kitty_."

George's hands drop onto his lap, bunching up the fabric of his pants as he reddens even more (if that was even possible). He looks up hesitantly, meeting Dream's eyes as he speaks in a quiet tone, "What.. did you just call me?"

"Kitty." Dream repeats, panicking as he wonders if he went too far with the nickname, ".. Does it.. make you uncomfortable? I won't say it again if it does—"

"N-No!" George says quickly, his hands flailing in front of him to reassure Dream, "It's fine, don't worry! It.. was just a joke anyways."

"Haha, yeah." The blonde shuffles back a bit, putting some space between him and George. 

_Just a joke_ , he tells himself. 

He hears George clear his throat and his gaze wanders from the floor back to the brunet's eyes. His breath catches in his throat when George stares at him with half-lidded eyes and a fond gaze.

And then he blinks. 

Slowly. 

. 

. 

. 

Dream doesn't have enough time to process what happened before George hops off his seat, patting Dream's shoulder and leaving him dumbfounded at the kitchen. 

Five, maybe six minutes pass and Dream finds himself running to his office, flipping through his guide for feline hybrids for a specific page. 

When he finds the page he was looking for, he skims through the sentences until his eyes land on the one that gives him the answer to his question. 

"Slow blinking can be a sign of relaxation, trust, and even.." Dream trails off, slowly putting the book back down on his desk as he collapses on his chair. His hand drags down his face as he whispers the last word to himself, ".. Love."


End file.
